The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-02
PEN MONEY.
julian Ralph's Letter on the Men
Who Grow Rich at Writing.
A Popular story Writer who Earns
$40 and over Every Day I'm
the Year.
Jalisn Ralph's Letter.

D"I
the Year.
Jaiisn Ralph's Letter.
To have pointed out to you the
most popular American author, and
then not to recognize him either in
the flesh or by any portraits you have
seen, is a trifle surprising if you had
previously thought you knew the
faces and figures Of all the
American authors you ever
heard of. The man who
was pointed cut stood on a corner
near the city hall OF Brooklyn, appa-
rentiy waiting for that carriage
which even the poorest Of us keep
a horse car. He was short man OF
medium build, dressed in suit OF
blue serge, wearing a fashionable
white straw hat, tilted little over
the ear, and carrying a cane. He
looked rather like shrewd commits
sion merchant or grain broker than
like an inspired ward of literature.
Where Howell never was heard
Of" said my friend, where the fame
OF Longiellow has not yet reached
and where Robert Louis Stevenson
is as il unborn that famous author is
admired, if not revereuced. He
makes Sl5, 600 year by his writings. "
Vexed at my ignorance and with
my curiosity keenly whetted, in
CURED his name, only TO learn that
il was Harland p. Halsey, a name |
never had heard in my lite. The
whole truth was grudeingly delivered
by informant. who at length freed
his mind in this wise: Halsey is the
writer who signs the non de plume
"Old Sleuth" in one of the popular
weeklios. Fifteen years ago he wrote
. serial story called odd Sleuth, the
Detective" and it achieved a success
so great that afterwards he adopted
the name of the hero OF his own
pen name, and ever since he has
been Keeling out stories, always about
odd Slouth," until he has now
written something like 200 volumes
OF this literature. He was the
Boisgobey OF America before the
Boisgobey Of France was heard OF.
He distinguished the field OF
DETECTIVE ROMANCE
upon which Julian Hawthorne now
so boldly strides before Julian Haw.
thorne had tried on the shoes his
father had trod in. This great au.
thor, Halsey, is a considerable man
in Brooklyn. where he shines as a
Republican politician rather than as
an author. Young Mayor Seth Low
made him a meinber Of tho Board OF
Education, possibly because Hal
seys brother-in-law is Henry Bris.
ton, q sort OF junior boss in local
politics, and certainly because when
not in the seat on his Pegasus the
great writer turns TO politics for
and dissipation. lie
lives modestly in that hive Of the
middle class OF the metropolis called
the hill" remains in the Board OF
Education aud loves TO talk. mainly
about himself. as is the wont OF au-
lhors. Wide as his circle Of fame.
he desires 10 widen IL by the pro.
duction OF more ambitious literature,
aud 10 that end, OF as an approach TO
il, has just finished book called
: The Autobiography Of 4 Barrel OF
temperance tale, OF
course.
How strange this all Isl We have
never read OF Halsey in the maya.
Iine articles upon the literary move
ment in New York, have not seen
his portrait in similar articles upon
the spirits Of the authors club. Yet
he is the leading writer for a paper
that boasts OF u quarter OF a million
aud four times that num-
Der Of readers million and a quar-
ter a week. IL seems quite likely
that, as my informant said, Ibis
books are 10 be found in the cabs Of
the locomotives, in the garrets Of the
sewing girls, in the kitchens OF the
land, aud the factory hands OF the
average New England mill town
would rather see him than Bismarck
or Tonpyson.
And $4,000 a yearl That Is al.
most $500 a week. Why, may be
unloosing a secret. but IL is none the
less fact that the prince Of our
noyolis,s. William ID. Howell, is paid
only $4,000 a year by Harper a
Bros. and he is considered fortunate
10 get that sum, though in order TO
do M he had 10 surrender all chance
Of earning extra money by means OF a
contract 10 which he agrees ~ give
all his gifted creations 10 that firm.
Aud the
REy. EDWARD r. ROE,
pcttod lavorilc OF the middle class
Of novel consumers. the man who il
supposed 10 press one OF his meta
phorical heels on the meek Of the
reading community. does not earn q
penny more than $4,000 a year aud
did not more than begin 10 make
that much until his publisher, tried
the experiment OF printing Barriers
Burned Away" in 20 cent lorm 10
limited edition Of 100000. volumes.
| say "limited" because they dc
slroyed. the plates when that number
was printed, 10 force the public %
buy the higher priced edition OF old
tat a dollar a book, | believed. In
ease IL wanted more after the 20.
cent books we're sold. This was iol.
lowed by the same experiments with
'llc Fell 10 Love With His Wile."
Both succeeded perfectly, aud now
Dominic Roe makes ten thousand a
year. But Old slcuth, who issaid
TO want 60 alter his circle offCaders
u the expense VI his income, make.
$4,000.
Who else does as we'll as that with
his pcn2 Editor Stone, OF the old
Journal Of Commerce, OF this city,
draws exactly that sum Tor his salary,
but then he controls the paper aud
pays himscli-aud he is not a novel.
lst. What novelist makes it2 Julian
Hawthorne, nov that he Is writing
The thrilling aud mystic experiences
a the detective iorco2 No, for he
a % 81